The fire in his eyes can not be put out, a Mortal Instruments story
by xBookxWormxLovex
Summary: What if Valentine hadn't made Jonathan part demon, and Jocelyn just left and took Clary on her own accord? He still has Jace, but didn't start the Uprising or anything like that... Yet?
1. Prologue

**This just a short prologue that has been on my mind for awhile now; what it was like when Valentine found Jace after Céline Herondale's committed suicide. I think it's a hopelessly sad, yet extremely interesting back story to Jace and his past. *I do not own the Mortal Imstrument series or merchandise, I just write fan fiction about it. All credit goes to the wonderful, amazing, and talented Cassandra Clare***

Valentine Morgenstern knelt down and took the tiny baby that he assumed was dead out of Céline Herondale's cold body. _It's a shame what weakness can do to poople and families alike,_ He thought as straightened up and held the small bundle in his arms, and looked at Céline's bloody wrists. He was about to dispose of the child when he felt it stir. It opened its eyes and Valentine's own eyes widened at the sight of them; they were a luminous gold, just like Céline's, and were much too deep and sad for a newborn's eyes. It seemed that the newborn somehow _knew_ what it's mother had done. Still, it didn't cry, just stared into Valentine's eyes with such intelligence and maturity that no other newborn would be capable of. Unless, his plans succeeded, which he knew they would. They always did. He felt a small smile come to his lips.

"Sir?" Hodge Starkweather's tentative voice broke him out of his self-righteous reverie. "What?" He snapped. Valentine felt slight satisfaction at how afraid Hodge looked at that moment. "Is the child still alive?" "Yes," he breathed. "Well, sir, what should we do with it?" "Him," he corrected. "Him." Hodge repeated. Valentine though it over; this child was certainly very special, and could be of good use to him. And, no one knew about him besides Valentine and Hodge. "I shall raise him as my own son." He said, half to himself. Hodge looked surprised, but only asked, "What will you name him?" "Jonathan. Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern."


	2. Chapter 1

"I'm sure you both know what you did wrong, correct?" Valentine Morgenstern's voice was measured and calm, but you could tell by the stern set of his pale features and the soft warning in his tone that he was angry. His two sons could not be more different in how they were handling this; the golden eyed one was the picture of ease and relaxation. His small, six year old face was pulled into an easygoing smirk and his posture was relaxed. He was surprisingly lean, yet well muscled for a six year old boy, and looked as if he worked out every day of his short life, and perhaps he did, as well as his brother. The said brother was a perfect, if smaller, replica of his father; the same hair that was so fair it was very nearly white, the same triangular face and broad shoulders, except instead of the deep, mysterious, dark eyes of his father, the six year old had piercing green eyes that looked like green glass with the sun shining on it, with flecks of blue and even lighter green in them. His small face was turned towards the ground, his lips a thin, embarrassed white line.

The golden haired boy muttered a quick, "Yes, sir, I'm very sorry," that suggested he was anything but sorry, but the white haired one could do no more than nod. "What was that, Jonathan?" Valentine was staring at the white haired one, his gaze calculating. At this his son looked up at him slowly, and said quietly, "Yes father. I, _we,"_ he glanced at his amber eyed comrade who had his ever present smirk planted in his handsome face, "shall never do that again." In one quick motion, Valentine covered the distance between them in one long stride. Jonathan wanted nothing more than to step back at that moment, but he knew that the comsequences would be worse if he did. Valentine always expected his sons to look him in the eye when they spoke to him, and to never step away from him. "What exactly would ' _that'_ be?" He sneaked one more glance towards his brother, and saw that now that Valentine's back was turned that his golden eyes were burning with the bright fire of anger, and that his hands were squeezed into tight fists at his side. Jonathan, now slightly shaken, answered. "We shall never enter your study unprovoked and unsupervised again, sir." Well, that was only partly true; he _had_ been provoked by Jace (that's what his brother preferred to be called, and it was still a mystery to Jonathan) and was only trying to keep him out of trouble, which he should've learned a long time ago never worked, when their father had found them and ordered them into the library, and that's where they were now, being lectured. It was all Jace's fault, and yet he was the calm one, like always. Or perhaps he wasn't so calm, and it was only a façade. Valentine said sharply, "Well, I guess I'll have to make sure that you remember this lesson, won't I? Just to be safe." Jonathan stiffened as he heard the lazy, almost bored sounding drawl of his brother, "I doubt that will be necessary, _father."_ He wasn't quite successful, though, in hiding his anger and indignation, which only seemed to make their father angrier. "Now, Jonathan, do you think you're the one who should be deciding that?" Why their father named his two sons both Jonathan was a mystery to them, yet they'd learned long ago to never question Valentine. By now Jace was shaking slightly, "That's _not_ my name." He hissed, and before they knew it, Valentine was standing right in front of him. "What have I told you about lying?" Jace was breathing so hard it seemed like he had just sprinted for three miles, and his face was red.

It was a strange, almost comical (if the situation wasn't also terrifying), picture as was expected. Jace might be pretty tall for a six year old, although Jonathan was a head taller than him, but Valentine was a _very_ tall man, over six feet tall. And, as was expected, towered over Jace, and was probably three times as muscular and brawny. Still, with his bright eyes narrowed in barely concealed malice, Jace looked nearly as angry, ferocious, dangerous, and frightening. Jace lifted his chin, and met Valentine's gaze evenly, his eyes still narrowed. Something flashed in Valentine's eyes as he continued, "And don't bother doing it now, because I saw the entire thing." Jace's eyes widened imperceptibly, but thankfully remained silent. Valentine narrowed his eyes, "Including the part when your brother tried to warn you not to do what I specifically told you not to do, knowing that you would be severely punished. Tell me, was it worth it?" Jace smiled his usual angelic, heart-stopping grin, but it was tinged with malice, coldness, and anger, all emotions that Jonathan suspected an angel would never feel. " _Quite_." He spoke through clenched teeth. "Father, please don't." Jonathan says surprisingly strongly, despite the terror that has chilled him to the bone. Valentine sighs and turns to look at his son, "Jonathan, it's the only way he'll learn." Jonathan looks liked he wants to protest, but he only turns away and tightens his jaw, preferring not to watch his brother get 'severely punished.' He heared the classic dragging sound that accompanied Valentine removing his belt. Jonathan knew what was coming; a whipping, and a long, hard one at that.

After what felt like ages, it was over. He turned back around and saw Jace pulling his shirt over the solid muscle of his chest. He looked no less angry, but maybe slightly subdued. He met Jonathan's gaze and after a split second looked away, but not before Jonathan saw what was in his eyes; pain, anger, and, worst of all, a white hot blazing inferno that could only be described as rebellion, and a strong one at that.


	3. Chapter 2

Training, probably the most used word in the Morgenstern household. Though probably not the most dreaded, as there was many more things that Valentine ordered upon his sons that they hated much more. Especially Jace, who had never seemed to get tired of training ever since Valentine had started making them train at age five, they were ten now, and often used it as a way to let out his anger and frustration, and _that_ was usually aimed at his father.

Jonathan, however disliked training. He was always too 'soft-hearted,' and Jace always beat him. Unless, of course, he allowed Jonathan to beat him. Lately, he had been doing that more and more often. Sometimes he would tell Jonathan before hand, and other times he didn't, and merely made an obvious mistake that even Jonathan couldn't miss. Jace would be scolded afterward, but he didn't seem to mind, and told Jonathan that it was unfair for him to always win, and Jace owed Jonathan after all the times he had kept him out of trouble. Jonathan didn't think Jace owed him, of course, but it was times like that that made Jonathan grateful that Jace was his brother. At least Jonathan _was_ improving, along with Jace.

Now, however, Jace was obviously winning their little sparing match. They used training swords, thank the angel, or Jonathan would be dead. Literally. Jace seemed to be in an especially sour mood that day, and was striking especially fast and hard. His eyes were dark, and if looks could kill Valentine would be dead. Soon enough, Jace had dispatched Jonathan of his sword, and held his own to Jonathan's throat. Jace looked utterly bored, and ready to be doing just about anything else. He picked up his sword, and Jonathan's, and put them away as he threw a hasty, "Good match," over his shoulder. "Going somewhere, Jace?" Their father's feeble attempt at humor was studiously ignored by Jace, as he came back to the center of the training room to help Jonathan up, as he always did if he fought so hard that he knocked Jonathan down. Jonathan was the same height as Jace, and kind of lanky, though his shoulders were too broad for the rest of him. Jace, however, was built much sturdier, despite his shoulders being much less broad. "Sorry about that," he muttered, then proceeded to exit the room. "Jace, may I speak with you a moment?" Jace stiffened slightly, then said, "Yes, father."

After Jonathan left, Jace walked over to where Valentine was waiting for him. "You fought excellently today, Jonath-Jace." Valentine rarely ever called him by the nickname he preferred, or complimented him. "Er, thank you, sir." He said hesitantly, slightly creeped out by Valentine's sudden kindness. "So you decided not to let Jonathan win today, then?" Jace should've known he would try to bring that up. He usually brought up _something_ Jace did incorrectly. He stifled a sigh, "I don't know what you're talking about." Valentine didn't look angry, just perplexed. "Yes, I suppose you just make exceedingly obvious mistakes right before your brother beats you from time to time, right?" Jace didn't miss a beat. "Right." "Jace, don't lie to me." He crossed him arms across his chest. "Why not? It makes things much more interesting, doesn't it?" He asked with mock innocence. "Just tell me why you do it, and I'll let you go." "I doubt that very seriously, and I could just go now, anyways. I don't need you're permission for _everything."_ Jace said under his breath, just loud enough for Valentine to hear. But if he heard it, he made no move to show it. He rolled his eyes, "We both know it wouldn't be fair if I won every single match, and besides, how will he learn what he's doing right, and that he's a good fighter, if he only gets beaten? Not everyone is as marvelously skilled as I am," he finished with a smirk. Valentine's mouth twitched at the corners, "What have I told you about being too cocky, Jace?" Before Jace could answer, though, Valentine said, "Fine, I believe you, you're dismissed." Jace nodded, and left the training room.


	4. Chapter 3

Jace's twelve year old brain wasn't thinking about anything else besides what else he was doing, it couldn't. Only pack what he would need, leave the rest. He heard a slight rustle and felt his heart go into his throat. His eyes met familiar green ones; it was only Jonathan. "Hey- Jace!? What are you doing?" Jace wasn't in the mood to be interrupted, "Just because you're father's little mindless robot doesn't mean you have to act stupid _all_ the time." He snapped. Jonathan merely blinked, but Jace knew he was hurt. Jonathan scowled, and moved like he was about to turn around, but Jace said, "Wait, Jonathan, I didn't mean that," he sighed. Once Jonathan gave him his full attention again, he continued, "I'm packing, Jonathan, because I'm leaving. Running away." Seeing the look in Jonathan's eyes, he said hastily. "I know you'll be fine here, father loves _you_ after all. But not me, never me." He realized he had been gripping his bag so tightly up he was afraid it might rip. He stopped hastily and continued. "You have to promise me that you won't tell him. Please." He looked deep into Jonathan's eyes as he said softly, " _Jace,_ you know I can't-" "Fine," he cut him off, "but at least let me get a head start. Give me until dinner, that's in a few hours, if he doesn't ask you won't technically be lying to him." Jonathan hesitated, then finally gave a small nod. Jace let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thank you, Jonathan. I promise I'll visit you sometime." Then, he waltzed over to the window and disappeared out of it, leaving Jonathan standing there, shell shocked. He couldn't believe it; Jace was actually _leaving._

He knew how much Jace disliked their father, which he couldn't understand, and how desperately he wanted freedom, but he didn't expect him to actually leave! How would he stop his father from finding out? Jonathan knew how bad of a liar he was, especially to Valentine. Jace was the one who was good at lying, not _him._ He couldn't help but think that if their situations were reversed that Jace would be able to keep it from their father.

By the time he was finished with tutoring, that's what came after lunch on their strict schedule, (thank God the teacher didn't ask where Jace was, he _did_ usually skip tutoring, anyways) and 6'o'clock rolled around, Jonathan was pacing and sweating nervously, still unsure how he was going to keep the news from his father, for at least long enough for Jace to get a good head start. He decided on playing dumb, and pretending not to know anything as he walked towards the kitchen for dinner. He tried to suppress his nerves, but he wasn't good at hiding his emotions like the rest of his family. He must've looked worse than he felt because he felt his father's scrutinizing gaze on him all the way from the doorway to the table. He sat down and pretending not to notice. He nearly choked on his salad apwhen Valentine asked, "I haven't seen Jace lately, do you know where he could've gone?" "I, er, no I haven't seen him either." He said quickly, too quickly, and avoided his father's gaze. "Jonathan, I know when you're lying to me." He paled but didn't say anything, a trick he'd learned from Jace. "You don't suppose he ran away did he?" He had to bite his lip, hard, before he could answer in a straight voice, "How should I know?" "I'm sure you know very well, Jonathan, and if you won't tell me, I'll have to get out of you by force." The threat in his voice was obvious, and it made Jonathan cold to the bone. Well, Jace had plenty of a head start, he supposed. He sighed and said bitterly, "Fine. He ran away, and that's all I know. He wouldn't tell me where he was going. He's much smarter than you give him credit for, you know." His father sighed, "I know, Jonathan," he stood up after he said that. "Now, we must find him."


	5. Chapter 4

Jace couldn't believe he was actually getting away from his father and out of that awful house. It was making him nearly giddy. He landed easily on his feet after dropping nearly five feet out his bedroom window, and started running, still not sure if he was completely out of danger. He paused at the edge of an immense forest, and started drawing runes on himself, preparing for battle, and for the long journey ahead of him. Hesitantly, he entered the forest. His eyes widened in fear as he saw how dark it was, then mentally scolded himself for being a scaredy cat. Nothing in this forest would be nearly as horrible or as scary as his father, he reminded himself, and the thoughts was like a knife made of ice piercing him through the heart. He heard footsteps behind him, and froze, all thoughts disappearing and his training kicking in. In one solid movement, he whipped a dagger out of his boot and spun around, holding the dagger to the poor soul's throat. Jace realized that it was only a boy around his age. The only boy that he knew around his age was Jonathan, so he was slightly unsure of what to do, besides to remove the dagger. When he did, the boy gasped, and held his hand to his throat. "Sorry about that, you started me." Jace said gruffly and sheepishly at the same time, as a girl slightly younger approached them. "Alec! I've been looking everywhere! Where on Earth-" she broke off as she saw Jace. She narrowed her large, dark eyes, "Who're you?" It was obvious that they were siblings; they were both thin, had the same thick, dark hair, and the only difference was their eyes; Alec's were a bright, almost electric, blue while his sister's were deep and dark (very unlike Valentine's, thankfully, his were cold, more of a dark gray while her's were a warm, chocolate-y dark brown). He decided it couldn't hurt to introduce himself, perhaps they could help him. "The name's Jace." He stuck out his hand. She eyed it, then shook it. Alec did the same. "My name is Isabelle, and this is Alec," when she smiled, Jace saw that she had braces. He had read about them before in the fiction books he liked to read sometimes. "Nice to meet you," Alec and Jace said at the same time, and Alex let out an uneasy grin.

"So, Jace, what brings you out here?" Isabelle asked as they continued walking again. He didn't know why, but he liked these two, and trusted them almost immediately. "Can you keep a secret?" He asked. They nodded, their eyes getting wide. He let out a breath, then continued softly still, "I'm running away." "From who, or where?" Alec asked quizzically. "From my father," he answered honestly. Thankfully they asked no questions, except, "Do you know about Alicante?" This time, it was his turn for his eyes to widen. The famous city of glass! He'd heard his father talk about it from time to time, but it was strictly forbidden for them to even _think_ about entering it, but he had broken several of his father's rules already anyways. "Well, I've uh heard stories, but I've never..." He trailed off as Isabelle's face lit up and she said, "Oh Jace you absolutely have to see it!" Jace could help but smile at how excited she looked. "Is that where you guys live?" "Well... Sometimes," Alec interjected, and blushed sheepishly when his sister shot him a glare that could wilt roses. Jace didn't say anything else, he didn't want them to dislike him, after all. He realized that he was already enjoying their company immensely, much more so than he had ever enjoyed his brother's or his father's company.

Jace was broken out of his thoughts when Isabelle said, "Do you know about portals?" He nodded, "I just haven't figured out how to make them." "That's ok, I know how." Alec said plainly, not bragging in the slightest, as if just stating a fact. That was quite a feat; most Shadowhunters Alec's age didn't even know what a portal was. It didn't take him long to complete it, and Jace was taken aback, he'd only seen pictures, never the real thing. "You'll have to teach me how to that sometime, Alec." Jace said evenly, a ghost of a smile on his lips. The ghost of a smile he hadn't felt in ages. "Sure." Alec said quietly. "Well, what are waiting for? Come on!" Isabelle announced, and stepped into the swirling, purple-ish hole where the wide front of an oak tree had once stood. Jace took a deep breath, and followed the two children, bracing himself for whatever came next, as he usually did, and was sucked into the swirling purple portal. It was disorienting; all of the colors swirling around in he opposite direction as he felt his body spin, but it would all be worth it.


	6. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! I know there's really no excuse, but 1) I kind of forgot about fan fiction (I'm a terrible person, I know) and 2) school, and life, has been crazy busy! So here's a filler chapter, hopefully it will suffice until I can figure out where to take the story from here!**

They landed with a small thud, but on their feet. Jace let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, he had half expected these strangers to lead him to a trap. He smiled bitterly; Valentine, his own father, had made it so hard for him to be able to trust anyone, he was always on edge in the Morgenstern Manor. "Jace! What do you think of Alicante!" Jace was pulled out his thoughts then, Isabelle and Alec looking at him expectantly. He finally took in his surroundings, mentally chiding himself for letting his father ruin something else for him. The famous City of Glass was much more beautiful in person than in any of the books he read about it. The sun was shining on the glass towers in the distance, making them sparkle and shine in ways he didn't know were possible. The cobblestone streets were perfect, the people walking and milling about made him feel happier and less alone than he had felt in a very long time. "It's so beautiful! I don't know how to thank you both," Jace was at a loss for words, suddenly emotional. These people had treated him with such kindness, and he wasn't used to that. "It's really no problem! All we did was show you where we live! Besides, most Shadowhunters live in this city, too, so we really didn't do much of anything! But I'm glad you like it so much!" This was the most Alec had said since they had become acquainted, and when Jace looked at him he had a strange look in his eyes. Jace merely nodded, not trusting his voice to speak. These people had helped him through that forest, had made a portal for him, and now expected nothing in return. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, and he was beginning to wonder why these people were being so nice to him. If this was really all a trap, he didn't know if he would be able to tell. However, if he showed that he was on to them, he would never get information out of them. So, he pretended to be oblivious as Isabelle said, "Come on, we should be getting home." Jace said, "Oh, my apologies I didn't mean to keep you!" Isabelle said cheerily, "It's really no problem! There are some people you absolutely have to meet!" That made Jace a little nervous, were they the people that would capture him and take him back to his father? He shuddered at the thought, but realized that if they were planning on ambushing him, then they wouldn't reveal so much about their plan. "All right, let's meet them then," he said with more confidence than he felt.

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Once they finally reached the house, after walking and Isabelle talking so much he thought her tongue would fall off, his eyes widened in slight awe. Their house was almost more grand than the Morgenstern Manor, with a beautiful, huge door and huge stain glass windows on several of the multitude of floors this house had. It seemed to stretch on forever into the sky. "This is... your house?" Jace asked, slightly jealous but mostly not trusting them in the slightest. Isabelle laughed, "Of course it is, silly! We wouldn't take you to some random person's house!" Jace smiled slightly at that, as Alec lead them up the steps and through the door. The inside of the house was even grander and more beautiful, with red velvet couches and a huge glass table in the center of what must be the living room. "Come on, you must be starving Jace." Alec said softly. Jace realized that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, which felt like it had occurred a million years ago. "I, er, yes I am quite ravished." He said as Alec lead him through the door on the other side of the huge room. The kitchen was beautiful, with white marble countertops and white tile floor. It was spotless, too, but that didn't come as a surprise to him. It took him a moment to realize that there was a beautiful girl in there, too. With long, curly, flaming hair, and the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen. Isabelle greeted her warmly, "Hi, Clary! Did you miss us?" _Clary,_ even her name was beautiful. She laughed a soft, delicate laugh, "Of course I did!" Isabelle smiled, and then said, "Clary, this is Jace," she gestured over to him, "Jace, this is Clary." He smiled, "nice to meet you, Clary." He offered his hand, and she shook it almost immediately. He sat down gingerly next to her as she said, "So, what brings you here, Jace?" He was trying to think up a lie as Isabelle said, "We found him in he forest, and he almost killed Alec!" " _What?"_ She asked, slightly disbelieving and slightly angry. "He surprised me! I wasn't actually going to _kill_ him.." he trailed off defensively. "You had a dagger to his throat!" "You tried to sneak up on me!" "All right all right!" Alec said, after a few more minutes of them bickering. "Let's just put this behind us, okay? It wasn't that big of a deal, and I'm still alive and well!" Isabelle said, "Fine," as Jace said, "Thank you!" Jace was worried that they were going to hate him, and he was beginning to really like these people, "I'm sorry, really, I didn't mean to hurt you." Alec smiled softly, "You didn't Jace, really. It's fine!" He sneaked a glance at Isabelle and Clary, and they weren't looking at him with hatred or anger, something he was all too used to. In fact, Clary was smiling and Isabelle wasn't scolding like she was before. "Anyways, now that that's settled, we should probably get lunch started," Isabelle said nonchalantly. "I'll start cook-" "IZZY NO!" Alec and Clary said at the same time. "There's no need, er, we can order pizza," Alec said quickly. "Order... pizza?" Jace asked, confused. Valentine never ordered anything, and always had the servants cook something. "Yeah! Haven't you ever had pizza?" Clary asked suspiciously. "Er, no..." Jace trailed off, suddenly not wanting to be an outsider. "Oh my gosh, you have to be kidding! Everyone in the entire world has had pizza!" Isabelle said dramatically. "Well, I must not be a part of this world," Jace said, winking at the horrified look Clary was giving him. Alec rolled his eyes and said, "it's settled, we have to order pizza."

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Jace ate almost an entire pizza by himself. It was the best thing he had ever put in his mouth! Clary looked disgusted by how much he was eating. "How can someone eat that _much_ in one sitting?" She wondered aloud. "I'm a growing boy, what can I say?' Alec laughed and said, "Now that I have exposed you to the glory that is pizza, you can never go back to regular food for mere mortals." "Agreed," Jace grinned. He was becoming increasingly happier and more comfortable with these people. He also new he had a crush on Clary, with her delicate hands, gorgeous face and hair, and beautiful laugh. "So, Jace, we don't really now much about you, besides you can eat enough for four people," Clary remarked. Jace froze, pizza slice halfway to his mouth. He laughed uneasily, "What do you need to know, besides that I'm also the most gorgeous man alive?" Clary rolled her eyes, "Modesty is an important virtue, you know." "Only for ugly people," He winked. She rolled her eyes again, but he noticed that she was blushing. "Let's start with a last name." Jace racked his brain for a believable last name. "Wayland. My name is Jace Wayland. What's _your_ last name?" "Fray, My name is Clary Fray," she replied quickly. Jace nodded and Clary continued, "Where do you live, when you aren't traveling through a forest." Jace faked being scared, 'Do you want to know my address so you can come to my house and stalk me?" Clary nearly choked on her pizza, "I, uh, of course not!" She stuttered. Isabelle was trying hard not to laugh. "Sure," Jace said sarcastically, flashing her a smile to show he was only kidding. Clary punched his arm playfully. "Ouch! You're gonna leave a bruise," he said, rubbing his arm. "Oh, so you aren't used to fighting, huh?" Clary said, her eyes filled with challenge. ' _Oh, if only you knew,'_ Jace though to himself. "Is that a challenge, Clary Fray?" "Definitely." She replied, a determined look in her eyes. Isabelle smirked, "I can show you both the training room, of you would like to settle this there?" Clary and Jace made eye contact and said in unison, "Definitely."

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After they had finished eating, and let their food digest, much to the dismay of Jace and Clary (they had wanted to fight as soon as they possibly could), they made their way to the training room. Jace had conveniently packed training gear in his bags, more out of habit than anything else. He had decided to place his bag in one of the many unused bedrooms in the mansion, after asking Alec and Isabelle multiple times if it was ok for him to stay the night. He would be moving on at dawn, of course, but he wouldn't be able to get far if he left during the night, he realized. He met Clary back the training room, and was in awe of her beauty. The black training gear fit her perfectly, and brought out her flaming red hair and her beautiful pale skin. He shook his head, he wouldn't let love destroy him, too. He grinned, "Are you ready to see just how often I fight? Or are you scared?" She look surprised for a moment, and a slight blush came to her cheeks as she replied, "In your dreams, Goldie. I'm not scared of you!" "You will be soon, Red," he said playfully. She smirked, "I'm having trouble believing that." then she crouched into a fighting stance, and he did the same. She threw the first punch, he easily blocked and sidestepped, and threw a punch of his own. It connects with her shoulder, and she stumbled slightly. That seemed to fuel her anger slightly, as she punched at him harder, he sidestepped her again, and landed another punch to her stomach. She was really angry now, kicking at him and punch at him faster and faster, he blocked almost every one of them, letting her land some o them so she wouldn't feel too bad. He feigned left, before faking her out and landing a kick that knocked her flat on her bottom. he smirked, "Need some help there, Red?" Anger flashed on her face, "I don't need _your_ help, Goldie." She rejected his outstretched hand and stared attacking again. He couldn't help but laugh at how ferocious the small redhead was attempting to be. That made her furious and she attempted to knock him over, but he used her momentum against her, and flipped her over his shoulder and onto her back. The wind was obviously knocked out of her, and he said, "Still sure you don't need my help?" She scowled, but let him help her up. "You're a good fighter, Clary Fray, and you're much more ferocious than you look," he said softly, feeling a mixture of guilty and taken aback by how pretty she looked, even with her fair falling out of her ponytail and her face flushed in exhaustion and anger. Surprise flashed across her face, and her face got even redder, "Er, thank you. You barely had to do anything to beat me though! I was trying my best and you still beat me without breaking a sweat!" He smiled, "Don't worry, I get a ton of practice. I've been training since I was five, so most people wouldn't last as long as you did." He wasn't trying to be cocky, it was the truth. Her eyes widened, "really? Since you were five years old? Wow, your parents must be tough on you!" He flinched at the mention of his father. He prayed to the Angel that he hadn't noticed Jace's absence yet. he looked at his watch, it was already 5'o'clock. "Jace? Are you alright?" Clary asked, putting her small hand on his shoulder. "I, er, I'm fine," he said, feeling anything but. "Come on, we should get cleaned up." She said, leading him out of the training room and up a large flight of stairs.

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"This is the shower," she said, ending her tour of the upstairs. The whole time she was talking, the only thing he could pay attention to was her pretty mouth. He mentally chided himself again, and tried to pay attention. "Thanks, Clary," his voice came out sort of hoarse, so he cleared his throat. She took that as him saying that the situation had become awkward, because she said, "I guess I should let you get cleaned up. Whenever your hungry, theres plenty of leftover pizza," she winked, and the left. He smiled to himself, and then got a change of clothes out of his bag and took a shower, letting the warm water soothe his surprisingly sore body. He also let I soothe his mind, realizing that he missed his brother and father in some twisted way. He didn't know why, besides the fact that maybe they were the only family he had ever known. His mother left them a long time ago, but she didn't blame her. he would've left too, like he was now. Then, he realized that he felt guilty. He was hurting his father like his mother had, and was opening old wounds. He let a single tear fall, and then felt his face harden. Valentine had drove him to this, hurting him, making Jace feel like he was merely a tool for Valentine to use, not really his son. He realized that the closest thing he really had to family were Isabelle, Alec, and Clary, and he wanted to get closer to them. He knew he couldn't and that he would probably be alone for the rest of his life. He quickly finished his shower, and put on fresh jeans and a close fitting tee shirt. he ran a comb through his hair, and then went back down stairs. He saw two older people in the living room, and froze. So this _was_ a trap! he cursed himself for being so trusting, but before he could turn around and escape, Isabelle said "Jace! Come meet my parents!" He came down cautiously, and said, "Hello, it's nice to meet you." He took them in, the woman looked a lot like Isabelle, despite her eyes being like Alec's, with her long dark hair and full lips. The man looked a lot like Alec, despite having brown eyes like Isabelle. He was broad shouldered and tall, like Valentine, making Jace a little nervous. However, he greeted Jace with a smile, and hook his hand, something Valentine would probably never do unless he was pretending to be kind. "Hello, Jace, I'm Robert Lightwood and this is Mayrse Lightwood, gesturing to the woman. It is very nice to meet you, and we are happy to have you in our home." Mayrse smiled at him as well, and said, "Yes, you can stay here as long as you wish. It's not like we don't have enough space." Jace smiled a real, genuine, smile, "Thank you both, very much. Your kindness means a lot to me." He was surprised by their kindness, and how they didn't expect anything in return. He was really going to miss these people. Perhaps he could come and visit them once he was in the clear and away from his father. They smiled at him just as Clary came down. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and it was falling in damp ringlets around her shoulders. She was so beautiful to him, it hurt. She noticed him staring and said "See something you like?" Isabelle smirked and Alec laughed softly as he said, "Er, I was just admiring how beautiful your house is," he said to Mayrse and Robert, trying to change the subject and trying to get on their good side. Mayrse smiled and said, "Thank you, sweetie," completely oblivious to his intentions. Clary stuck her tongue out at him, and he rolled his eyes and grinned. "Hey! We should go demon hunting!" Isabelle said brightly. Clary and Alec groaned as Jace said, "Yeah!" "Fine then, Jace and I can go and you losers can stay here!" Just as Alec was about to protest, Jace interjected, "If that's alright with you, Mr. and Mrs. Lightwood?" looking at Mayrse and Robert. Robert sighed, "Fine, just be safe." Jace grinned, "Thank you!" He quickly changed into hunting gear, and met Isabelle at the door. "You ready?" She asked. "I'm always ready."

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"Do you like Clary?" Isabelle asked suddenly, as they were walking towards the abandoned warehouse that Jace had portaled them to, after Alec had shown him how to make one. Jace nearly dropped his weapon in surprise, but quickly played it off, "Why do you ask?" Isabelle smirked, "Come _on,_ it's _sooo_ obvious!" He scoffed, "Well, I don't, so you must be bad at reading people." She looked at him from the side, "You stare at her like she's the most beautiful thing in the world, Jace." He felt himself blush as she said, "And she totally likes you, too. She would have never asked about your personal life if she didn't, or asked to fight you f she wasn't trying to impress you." "R-Really?" He asked hopefully. "Yes! I knew it! but also, yes really! You should totally make your move. Her mom is pretty overprotective, though, and we are quite young. But, that doesn't mean you guys can't wait until your older! If it's meant to be, it will be!" Jace smiled, "Thanks, Isabelle." "Please, call me Izzy! You _are_ like my brother, you know." Jace felt warm inside, and very happy. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Izzy. Thank you. You're like the sister I always wish I had," he said quietly, surprising himself at how honest he was being with people he barely knew, but felt like he had known for a lifetime. Isabelle pulled him into a hug, and he hugged her back, feeling more loved than he had in a long time. "Now, it's kill some demons!" He nodded in agreement, and slipped into the demon infested warehouse, ready for any challenge placed in front of him.

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Jace felt like his legs were lead, and every muscle in his body was on fire. He had killed so many demons, he had lost count. "Oh my god, I feel like I just killed every demon in the world!" "Agreed," Have breathed, leaning against the warehouse wall. "Do you feel like you can make a portal?" "Yes, of course," he said, beginning to write the runes on the wall. He checked his watch as the portal was forming, and realized in was already 10'o'clock. "Oh crap," he mumbled. "What?" Isabelle asked. "It's already 10'o'clock!" "Oh my god, Mom and Dad are going to kill me." He gulped, and said, "We'd better hurry home!" They went into the portal, and landed right outside of The Lightwood's home. He checked his watch again, and realized it was even later than he though, it was really closer to eleven. Isabelle went up the stairs and through the door first, and Jace followed closely behind. He saw that most of the house was dark and quite, but clary was still awake, reading a book. "Oh good, your home! I was worried sick!" He assumed that she was talking to Isabelle, but he realized that she was talking to him, too, when she hugged him. "We're fine," Isabelle laughed, "but thank you for worrying!" He thanked her as well, and she just smiled. "Of course! Anything for my friends!" Jace smiled, she though of him as her friend?They had just met. "Well, Im gonna take a shower and go to sleep. I'll leave you both alone to talk," she disappeared up the stirs with a wink. They both blushed scarlet. He changed the subject by asking her what she was reading. "Oh! I'm reading Wuthering Heights." Jace knew his father loathed the book, saying it was "too soft" for a shadow hunter and that the characters were annoying and lovestruck, but he secretly loved the book. "I love that book!" He exclaimed. She laughed, "Don't spoil anything! I haven't finished it yet!" He smiled, "Of course I wouldn't, I hate when people do that." "Me too," she agreed. 'I'm tired of reading, though, and I can't go to sleep," she grumbled. He grinned, "We could always talk until you get tired. I would love to get to know you better." She blushed, "I would love that." She lead him up to her room, and they talked for a little while before she said, "Oh! There's something I have to show you! We have to hurry, though, or we'll miss it!" She lead him past her room and up another set of stairs. He was confused, but didn't protest, secretly going being near Clary. When she finally stopped, they were in a room full of various types of plants. She lead him to the center, where a silver-y plant was in a tight bud. He opened to ask her why she was showing her this plant, when she put a small finger to his lips and said, "Just wait for it." And so he closed his mouth and waited patiently. When the clock struck midnight, the plant opened. He was taken aback by the sheer beauty and size of the plant, the center glowed blue and the petals shone with a beautiful light, full of an otherworldly beauty. It reminded him of Clary, beautiful on the inside and outside, too, especially when she opened up. "It's beautiful, Clary, thank you for showing it to me!" She blushed, "It's really no problem! I love to come up here when I can't sleep. I can never remember the name of this plant, though." He smiled, "It's fine, you can just tell me later when you remember." The way the moonlight shined on her hair, paling it to an almost strawberry color, and brought out her cheekbones and eyes, was mango him feel reckless. He leaned down, put his hands on her shoulder and neck. Surprisingly, she didn't all away, just stood on her tip toes to get closer to him. Finally, after what seemed like hours, their lips were on each other's, and Jace couldn't help but put his hands in her hair. Their kiss was full of slow, burning, building passion, setting Jace's nerves on fire. Suddenly, Jace pulled away, Clary reached up to him, for more, but he put a finger to hr lips. "Clary, I- I can't get attached," he stuttered. "What?" She asked, bewildered. "I, I have to leave at dawn. I'm on the run." "From what?" "From," he hesitated, "From my father. I know he doesn't really love me. I can't stay in that house any longer. I'm sorry I wasn't, couldn't be, honest with you Clary. I'll come back when I can and visit, I promise you." She was silent for a minute, and the said, "You promise?" "Yes, Clary, I promise. I never break and promise." She smiled softly, "All right, I'll be waiting for you. I have to leave and go back to New York, but I always spend July here, in Alicante. I'll be waiting for you here, every July until you come back to me. No matter how long it takes, I won't give up on you." Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them away. He had to be strong, if not for himself then for Clary. "I think I love you, Clary Fray." "Is that a promise?" He grinned, "It's a promise." "Then, I think I love you, too, Jace Wayland." "It's Morgenstern." "What?" "My last name, it's really Morgenstern." "Oh, well in that case, I think I love you, too, Jace Morgenstern." He smiled, and then said, "You can't tell anyone else about this, Clary, just in case my father comes and looks for me here." "I promise I won't, Jace." "Thank you, Clary. You mean so much to me."

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He could hardly sleep that night, so went dawn rolled around, he had barely slept for an hour. he was full of energy, and adrenaline, though, so he quickly and quietly showered and changed his clothes. He realized that the Lightwoods had washed his other clothes. He was filled with sadness at the thought of leaving these people who had been nothing but kind to them, so he found a pen and paper and wrote them a note, saying that something had come up at home and he had to leave to help his family. He thanked them profusely for their kindness and hoped that they understood. He also said he would come back and visit when he could. Satisfied at his goodbye, he quickly slipped out the back door, and started on the long journey ahead, hoping that he would find a kindness like he had found with the Lightwoods again.


	7. Chapter 6

As the door shut behind Jace, so did his thoughts. His emotions. He put a lock on the tightly closed door of his mind, where all of his memories and emotions were put away. He refused to let himself feel the things he knew were lurking behind his closed eyelids. He had become accustomed to bottling his emotions, slamming on the breaks of his own mind before he even started to drive it. He had learned to never allow people to see his true self or intentions from his father, who always seemed to be the master of his own emotions. _His father_ , the two words seemed like a knife to the heart. He knew that his father despised him, he knew that his father would never love him in the same ways he loved Jonathan. He wasn't like them, he never would be, and sometimes different was unwelcome. He shivered slightly, and pulled his heavy leather jacket tighter around him, not being able to shake the cold dread that filled him. Jace wouldn't be able to come back here for awhile, wouldn't be able to see the Lightwoods or Clary again anytime soon. _Clary,_ the beautiful red- haired girl who he had grown so fond of. _Isabelle and Alec,_ who had been so kind to him, even after he almost killed Alec. He sighed, their house was just too _noticeable._ He wanted to be inconspicuous, wanted to be unable to be found, wanted to become a shadow. _We are dust and shadows,_ after all. He began to descend the steps at the back of the house; he had decided to leave by dropping out of his window onto the terrace that connected to his room and overlooked the city, and then silently made his way towards the back of the building. He didn't know where to go next, besides walking towards the city, perhaps if he blended in with the multitude of people in the city, his father would be less likely to be able to find him. He had no doubt that his father was furiously searching for him, Jonathan couldn't keep the truth away from him for that long, and once he did, Jace would have hell to pay. He set his jaw, he wouldn't descend into hell without setting the devil himself on fire first.

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Jonathan trailed behind his father miserably. He couldn't help but feel as though he had betrayed Jace in the worst way possible. Why couldn't he have just lied to his father like Jace did? Why couldn't he be more like Jace and less like the man in front of him? He hated looking like his father, but he hated trusting and admiring him even more. His father wasn't a good person, but he was strong and ruthless and everything Jonathan aspired to be. It made Jonathan sick the way he was too soft and mild and didn't fight as well as Jace did. He would rather be painting or drawing than swinging a sword or his fist around, but that wasn't something his father particularly liked or wanted, and god forbid he disobey his father. "Jonathan," Valentine snapped, "Were you paying attention to anything I just said?" Jonathan looked up at his father, and noticed that his face was slightly drawn, his normally blank eyes that refused to show emotions were burning with it now, something Jonathan was not accustomed to. It terrified him "No. I wasn't. I apologize Father," he said as calmly as possible. Valentine sighed, "It's quite alright, Jonathan. This is probably causing you quite a bit of stress. As I was saying, my best bet is that Jace has used a portal to go to the city of Alicante. Has he ever talked about going into the city with you?" Jonathan froze, Jace was always fascinated with the city, and it was one of Valentine's most emphasized rules that they were not allowed anywhere near the city. If they did, there would be heavy consequences. Jace would be in a whole lot of trouble if that's what he had done. "He... was always fascinated with Alicante, yes. But he doesn't know how to make a portal, and even if he did he wouldn't know what Alicante looked like to be able to imagine it." Valentine smiled tightly, "I don't think he went there alone." Jonathan's mind was whirling, Jace didn't have to do it alone? Jace was in _Alicante?_ A huge weight was lifted off his shoulders, _Jace wasn't alone. He was safe._ "Yes, that does seem plausible," Jonathan said quietly, keeping the happiness out of his voice. Valentine began walking faster through the forest, and Jonathan had to jog to keep up. The sun was just starting to come up over the horizon, causing dilapidated shadows from the tress above to lay over his father's handsome face and broad shoulders. He kept tightening his large hands into fists and then releasing them, his shoulders were tight and his back as straight as an arrow, betraying just how angry and on edge he truly was. Jonathan, despite being relived that Jace probably wasn't having to do this alone, was terrified for him. His father's wrath was not something he wanted to face, and he definitely didn't want Jace to be subjected to it. He remembered the fire of revolution that had burned in Jace's eyes after every whipping he had received, and he knew he would survive it. He would never be the same, and he would likely lock himself away inside his own head. He didn't want that for Jace, but what could he do? He couldn't exactly stop his father, he would likely die trying if he did. Once Valentine Morgenstern had his mind made up, you'd better get out of his way if you wanted to keep your sanity.

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Jace continued his trek through the city, not knowing what was in the other side, but making a safe bet that it was much more appealing than his father and the wrath that would be awaiting him. He began to walk faster subconsciously, fear beginning to strike ice through his heart. He bumped into a boy with dark hair, and a handsome, albeit slightly strange, face. "Hey- watch where you're going!" He said in a French accent. Jace cursed under his breath. "I'm really sorry!" He said and continued walking. The boy began following him, "It's fine, I'm sorry for being so cross with you. Why are you in such a rush?" Jace paused his hurried pace. "I'm... on my way to a very important meeting." The boy looked suspicious, "Where at?" Jace straightened his posture, "why are you so nosy? I don't even know your name, what makes you think I would tell you what I'm doing?" The boy flinched, but held out his pale hand, "I'm Sebastian. Sebastian Verlac. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." Jace didn't know why, but he liked this boy. He shook his hand warmly, "I'm Jonathan Wayland." Sebastian smirked, "Well, Jonathan Wayland, you look like an angel. An angel that would come back from hell having the devil owe him a favor." Jace didn't know what to say, but he didn't have to say anything when Sebastian placed a kiss to his lips. Jace nearly fell over in surprise, but found that Sebastian was actually a very good kisser. He was spontaneously romantic, too, which was another plus. It was distinctly French, and Jace found himself wanting to live in France when he was older. When they finally broke apart, they both had excellent endurance it seemed. Sebastian smirked his signature smirk. "Ah, pretty boy, you are very open." Jace smirked as well, and said, "yeah well you didn't give me much choice, did you?" Sebastian laughed; a beautifully soft, almost twinkling, sound, making his handsome in an off sort of way face come alive. "Yes, well, I should let you go. Could I have your number, by any chance?" Jace took note of his surroundings, seeing that a few people were staring at them, but many were just going about their business as if this was a natural occurrence, two boys kissing in the street at dawn. _He had kissed a boy,_ and he didn't mind it. He had almost enjoyed it as much as he did kissing Clary. He knew there was a mundane word for being attracted to more than just the opposite sex, but he didn't know what to was. He definitely knew his father would not be happy, but it was just something else he he would keep locked away, never to be found out by his family. He smiled, "I don't have a phone. But I may see you around yet again." Sebastian looked disappointed, but he merely nodded, "All right, then. Good luck on your journey, friend." Jace smiled, and then continued his journey to the other side of the city. Now, he was leaving behind people who had made him realize more about himself and made him happier than he had ever been with his own family, and he had only known them for a short while.

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Jonathan tried his best not to puke up his breakfast, not that he had eaten much anyways, when they landed on the outskirts of Alicante. His father seemed unfazed, albeit a little nostalgic, as if he had been here a million times. Jonathan, on the other hand, was trying his best not to let his eyes bug out of his head. There were so many _people,_ and buildings and _things_ to look at. The glass towers in the distance were so beautiful and huge, he itched to paint the scene; the people looked tiny in the distance, and the sun coming up over the whole thing bathed it in a soft glow, making it look like heaven. Valentine smoothed his already immaculate button-up shirt that was the color of blood, "Jonathan, now is not the time to stand by idly." His tone had a soft threat in it, and Jonathan wasn't about to risk making him any angrier. "I apologize, father. It's just so-" "Beautiful. Yes. I'm sorry you had to see it this way for the first time. I promise to take you back someday, but right now we must find your brother." Valentine's voice was as calm as usual, but something in the way he talked surprised Jonathan. He seemed anxious, and it was something foreign to Jonathan. If his father was nervous, things must be _really_ bad. Jonathan nodded, and smiled up at his father encouragingly. They started walking, rather briskly, and Jonathan let his mind wander. Hadn't Valentine said something about his mother and him living here when they were younger... "Father?" Jonathan asked after about five minutes. "What is it, Jonathan?" Valentine seemed annoyed that he was breaking his concentration, but Jonathan couldn't help it. "Is... does my mother live here? Is that why you're so worried about Jace? Are you afraid he'll leave with her instead of you?" It was a perfectly harmless question, or so Jonathan thought, but Valentine whipped around to face him so fast he was surprised he didn't break his neck. "How _dare_ you ask that now," Valentine's eyes were burning so intensely with the fire of rage that it was all Jonathan could do not to look away. "What have I told you about talking about _her,_ what have I told you about what she did?" His voice was icy as he stepped closer to Jonathan, causing him to crane his neck to look up at him. "I-I don't remember," Jonathan would never forget the murderous look on his father's face as he brought that back of his hand across his face so hard he stumbled back a few feet. "Just because I'm angry at Jace doesn't mean I can't punish you as well, Jonathan," He growled in a low voice, "Do not lie to me and ignore direct orders again. Do you understand?" Jonathan couldn't answer for a few moments, having to look away from his father's angry face, and Valentine crossed the space between them in one long stride, "Do. You. Understand?" He asked harshly, grabbing Jonathan's chin so hard he would be surprised if there weren't finger shaped bruises there tomorrow, forcing him to look at him. "Yes, father," he said quietly, wanting desperately to be anywhere else. Valentine removed his hand, "You'd better, Jonathan, because I am not in the mood to reteach lessons you should've learned a long time ago." He turned around, and began walking again, the stern set of his shoulders enough to make Jonathan begin hurrying after him. Holding his face in his hand, he felt tears begin to prick at the back of his eyes. He should've known better, his curiosity usually never got the best of him like that. That was always _Jace's_ forte, not his. He shivered, something about the mystery of his mother was so enthralling to him, he often snuck into the library to find any information he could on her. _Jocelyn Fairchild,_ his father had told him about how her long red hair had looked in the afternoon sun and how her eyes were so green he could see them still when he closed his eyes. But, he hadn't told him much else, like why she left them or where she was now. He was broken out of his thoughts as his father asked a dark haired boy a few years older than Jonathan if he had seen Jace, though he didn't say Jace but rather described what he looked like. Which was smart, there were likely very few people in the world who looked like Jace. The dark haired boy had a guarded expression on his off-kilter face, his nose was slightly too big and his full lips were slightly uneven, but he was still handsome in an odd sort of way, "Why do you ask? If he wanted to be found, he would have told you were his was, wouldn't he?" He had a French accent, giving him an air of sophistication. Valentine's eyes narrowed, "Sometimes, people do not want what's best for them. I suggest telling us what you know, now, if you value what's best for _you,_ " the threat in his voice was clear as day, and the boy's eyes widened. "Er, a boy matching the description you gave me... bumped into me earlier, but he was walking rather quickly towards the other side of the city, sir, I doubt he is very close by now." Valentine set his jaw, "Thank you for your information. Come along, Jonathan, we've nearly found him." He began walking even faster now, and Jonathan gave the boy a small smile before running off after him, terrified for what would happen to his brother once they did find him.

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Jace couldn't shake the feeling that his doom was coming closer and closer to him. He couldn't shake the feeling that his father was coming closer and closer to him every second, forcing him to climb the rocky hills on the other side of city faster than he previously thought possible. Now, however, he was becoming more and more frustrated because he couldn't go _faster_ and escape his father faster. Freedom was _so close,_ he was so close to being able to breathe freely and give his father what Jace knew he wanted, less of a reminder of his mother's betrayal. Valentine had told him about Jocelyn having an affair, and that Jace was another man's child. That's what explained how Jace looked nothing like Valentine, and didn't really act like him either. That also explained why Valentine did not love him the same way he loved Jonathan, why he hurt Jace so much more. Why Jace acted out so much more, why he was such a bad son. He closed his eyes for a moment, locking the door of his mind before the tears came, and finally scrambled to the top of the hill. He cursed under his breath as he saw that there were tons more hills in front of him, they stretched out as far as his eyes could see. Not for the first time that day, he wished he knew how to make a portal, but he wished more that he knew where he could go. He wished he knew were he belonged. He wasn't giving up so soon, though, and started climbing the next hill. His muscles began to burn, however, and he wished he had a stele. A branch snapped, and he paused, ice cold terror creeping into his mind. _What was that?_ He strained his ears, but didn't hear anything else, and assumed (prayed) it was just a wild animal in the distance. He climbed to the top of the next hill, and was nearly panting with exhaustion. _Valentine was right,_ he thought, _I'm weak._ That thought alone steeled him to keep going, and he made it about halfway up the next hill when he was suddenly thrown backwards, hitting the ground about 10 feet below him with a thud. He scrambled to his feet, but he was just thrown into the stone "wall," which was really the bottom of the hill he had been thrown off of. He was seeing stars, but he could still make out the tall, broad shouldered figure approaching him from where it had thrown him earlier. "Going somewhere, Jonathan?" Valentine's voice was deceptively calm, his face a neutral mask. However, he was making no effort to hide the hatred and rage that burned in his eyes. Jace would see that fire in his nightmares for a long time after this. Jace tried his best to hide the immense terror that was currently rendering him motionless, but apparently he wasn't doing too good of a job because Valentine crossed the rest of the distance between them in one long stride and smirked wickedly, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Jace suddenly felt the anger he hadn't allowed himself to feel in a _very_ long time course through him as he spat blood at his father's feet, "No, it seems as if my tongue is just fine. Thanks for asking, though, it's really convincing me that you care!" His voice came out smooth and icy, just like Valentine's did when he was trying not to show his anger. Valentine's face changed from the neutral mask he often wore, betraying his true, raw, terrifying rage. Quicker than Jace could blink, Valentine had him by the throat pressed against the stone wall. "Don't push your luck, _boy,_ I'm so inclined to rip out your tongue myself." Jace grinned like the devil himself, with blood on his bared teeth and fire in his eyes. "Does that make you the cat, then? Does that make me the unwanted, mute boy?" His voice dripped with sarcasm, which seemed to make Valentine beyond angry, and heading into the territory of murderous. "I would shut up, if I were you, Jace," Jonathan said, standing on his brother's right side, unable to do anything besides watch his brother being hurt by the man who was supposed to do anything but. Neither of them turned to him, "Don't bother helping him, Jonathan. He is beyond saving." Jace laughed, then. Actually laughed in his father's face, "You're just now realizing this? You're even less smart than I gave you credit for, and that's saying something." Valentine's face seemed to explode with even more fury than either of them could imagine, and he slammed Jace's head into the wall with such force that Jace crumpled and passed out, falling onto the ground with a sickening _thud._ Jonathan couldn't help but wonder if Jace would have a concussion, or if that would be the least of his worries when Valentine was finished with him.

 **Sorry this chapter was a little heavy, please review!**


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